About this Event
In celebrating Cleveland Asian Festival’s 10-year anniversary and
National Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, the Levin
College has partnered with Cleveland Asian Festival and Asian
Pacific American Advocates, Greater Cleveland (OCA) to present
AsiaTown and the Asian American Experience.
Ohio is home to over 238,000 Asian-Americans with almost 67,000
living in the Cleveland Metropolitan area and over 39,000 in
Cuyahoga County. When the first Chinese arrived in Cleveland in
1870, Chinatown formed, relocated twice, and eventually evolved to
our present day AsiaTown. For many years, AsiaTown remained a hidden
gem that unveiled itself more widely in recent years due in part to
the popularity of the Cleveland Asian Festival and the growing Asian
Pacific American (APA) community. Regardless of where Asian Pacific
Americans live, work, or play they have a connection with
Cleveland's AsiaTown. Hear our diverse group of panelists talk about
their own personal experiences, perspectives on AsiaTown, and the
future of the APA community in Cleveland.
Panelists:
Johnny K. Wu
A native Clevelander raised in Central America, Johnny Wu is,
a veteran award-winning producer with an MBA (from Cleveland State
University) specialization in branding. Fluent in Chinese, Spanish
and English, Johnny is well known and respected within the Asian
Pacific American community in Ohio, he is one of the co-founder of
the Cleveland Asian Festival, as well as recognized by ethnic
cultural groups as the Producer for Cleveland Cultural Gardens’ One
World Day since 2015. Wu currently sits as an executive board member
of St. Clair Superior Development Corp, member of the International
Task Force for Cleveland Museum of Art, WKYC Community Council
Member, City of Cleveland Consumer Affairs Community Board, VP of
Organizations Relation for OCA Cleveland Chapter, to name a few. He
is an inductee to two Martial Arts Hall of Fames, and an inductee of
the International Indie Filmmakers Hall of Fam
Lisa Wong
Lisa Wong is the President of OCA – Asian Pacific
American Advocates, Greater Cleveland Chapter, co-founder of the
Cleveland Asian Festival, and recently elected Vice President of
Communications for the national OCA – Asian Pacific American
Advocates. Lisa has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in
Marketing Communications from Cleveland State University and is a
graduate of Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland and the Cleveland FBI
Citizen’s Academy. She is a certified Election Day Official for the
Cuyahoga County Board of Elections and has worked for the Cleveland
Council on World Affairs, The Plain Dealer, The City of Cleveland
Department of Public Health, and Minority Business Assistance Center
at the Urban League of Greater Cleveland as a Consulting Business
Advisor. Lisa is a Cleveland native of Chinese descent and longtime
community advocate who was named one of Cleveland’s 2017 Most
Interesting People by Cleveland Magazine and recently honored with
the City of Cleveland Third District Citizen Award. In her spare
time, Lisa enjoys working on film projects, both in front and behind
the scenes from the Cleveland 48-hour film project to independent
films, to Hollywood productions, and performing on the OCA Cleveland
Dragon Dance Team.
Angelin Chang
Recognized for her poetry and brilliance, internationally
acclaimed pianist Angelin Chang is the first American female and the
first pianist of Asian heritage to win the GRAMMY? Award (Best
Instrumental Soloist with orchestra). Dr. Angelin Chang is Professor
of Piano and Coordinator of Keyboard Studies and Coordinator of
Chamber Music at Cleveland State University, where she is also
Professor of Law at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Chris Tanaka
Chris Tanaka is a news anchor for WOIO. Half Japanese, he was
actually born in Taipei, Taiwan. Chris has lived in three different
countries and seven different states. Predictably, he loves to
travel and experience different cultures and food. Chris can be seen
anchoring with Tiffani Tucker Monday through Friday at 4p, 5p, 6p
and 11p on WOIO, as well as 7:30p and 10p on WUAB.
Anne Pu
Anne Pu Ying is a first-generation Chinese immigrant from
Shanghai, China and the proud owner and publisher of the Erie
Chinese Journal (ECJ), a bi-monthly Chinese and English language
newspaper with readerships throughout the Northeastern United States
and globally through the ECJ website. She is also President of
Global Chinese Service, LLC. Today, Pu Ying is a well-known and
respected presence throughout the City of Cleveland and is active in
numerous organizations and cultural and social service philanthropic
endeavors. ?She can be found covering nearly every major event for
ECJ, both in and outside of the Chinese community.
Asim Datta
Asim Datta was born in Kolkata, India and moved to Cleveland in the
early 80s. ?Even though Cleveland was in the economic doldrums at
the time, he discovered much that the region had to offer, and chose
to remain. Almost thirty-eight years now. ?And never a moment of
regret!!
Asim's passion has always been peoples and cultures, and besides
running a travel business for decades which fulfilled his thirst for
world, he devoted much of his life to bringing people and cultures
of the world together. He strongly believed that colors and cultures
enhanced the beauty and richness of any community!!
He has given his time and effort to his community by serving
on boards and committees in refugee resettlement (International
Services Center), International Community Day by Cleveland Art
Museum's International Cleveland Community Advisory Committee,
helped found Worldwide Intercultural Network (now ICC-WIN), helped
with the Cleveland Asian Festival, Cleveland International Folk
Festival, the Asian Indian Heritage Project, Cleveland Cultural
Gardens and its One World Day, and FICA (the Federation of India
Community Associations of NE Ohio). As president of FICA, his focus
remained on opening doors and windows to the greater community to
offer insights in to Indian cultures, and opening the minds of the
Indian community to the outside world!!
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